I am looking at getting my masters in this. I have been reading stuff, requesting college info, it takes a lot of work to go back to school! Anyway, just curious if anyone has BTDT, I am wanting scholarship, grant info too

By Marg on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - 05:15 pm:

Some colleges have scholarships for gpa, what your major is, etc.

Go to www.fafsa.com, whether or not you think you are eligible. This will get you funding through loans and pell grants, etc. It is quick and easy, but you do need previous years tax returns.

I know the hoops you are jumping through. But it will be well worth it. Dh is going for masters in counseling, then he wants to do for his Phd. He hated high school, now he loves to learn, but it took him 17 years to figure it out

Good luck!

Also, if your are attending a college within your state they also can be of assistance if you meet their guidelines and regulations (alot of that is online also).

By Feona on Thursday, July 28, 2005 - 06:30 am:

I would volunteer a little to see if you like it. Most ots work with nursing homes. I actually was interested in doing this about 14 years ago. So I volunteered. I found it depressing.... working in a nursing home... Actually the nursing home I went into wasn't a good one and was very disturbing to see the alzeimer patients calling out for anyone to talk to them. It must have been this particular hospital but the ots didn't look very happy and were not very positive about the profession.

Also as we found out when dmil got sick there aren't many good nursing homes...

I know you want to work with kids but you should see what kinds of opportunities there are in the field in your area. How easy is it to get a job working with kids?

You would think all the ots would prefer working with kids rather than in a nursing home. So there must be something hard about working with kids or getting jobs working with kids.

I don't know but the children's ot here work by the half an hour. no health insurance. No paid vacation. and they don't get paid if the parent doesn't bring the child to the session which can be often if the parent has more than one kid or is pregnant herself or any reason you can think of.

I admire John's OT person. She had a special personality to work with children that sometimes cry when they see her and often don't cooperate or listen to her. It looks to me as if the children's ot and speech and pt therapist are all young or very young at heart and have amazing energy and have an amazing ability to work with children(some who are difficult). It looks like they have a special personality to engage the children. I wonder what they do when they are having a grumpy day or feel under the weather themselves?

It also looked like a very physical job - pushing kids in the special swings they have. Plus a new kid every 1/2 hour like a machine or revolving door.

I don't think the schools hire alot of ots. Usually there is one ot per school district.

In the nursing home it is a new patient every 15 minutes.. Can you imagine? It also is good to be realistic about the work.

My chiropractor at the time mentioned that people in medical field have to deal with sick patients with bladder or/and bowel problems. Very sick or even mental problems and demanding.

By Kaye on Thursday, July 28, 2005 - 08:25 am:

I would be working aprt time no matter where I worked, hubby holds all the benefits, so no insurance is okay by me.

Right now there is a big demand for OT's in my school district and the one right below, don't know what it will be like in 3 years. A chance I guess I am willing to take.

I am a special education teacher by my first degree. I had my share of difficult kids (one stabbed another student with a pair of scissors, practicing for "the teacher" lol). My son did OT for a year and it was the BEST thing that ever happened for him. Through that time I also learned what he was doing and did it with him. It is a risk either way, I may end up with a degree that I only use for a year and then move on, but I should make enough in that year to cover my college loans.

Before you can apply to an OT masters program you have to have 20 hours of observation of a licensed OT. This is to keep people from wasting their time! I am going to try to sqeeze that into my schedule this semester too! It will be a whole new world for me, 2 classes, observation and NOT giving anything up yet...we will see.

Ultimately as much as I enjoyed staying home, my kids are growing very fast and I need to think of my 10 year plan. I don't think hanging out at home and volunteering will be enough for me. I need some outside accolades to help my mental health. So I figure it I start now I can be finished by time my oldest starts high school, my youngest will almost be in int. I can work part time for the next several years and go full time IF the need for money presents itself (think cars, insurance and college..YIKES)

By Feona on Thursday, July 28, 2005 - 11:49 am:

John had a special ed teacher that used to come to the house when he was 18 months old.

She would work with him and test him. She was very good.

Anyway I don't know if you know some special ed teachers work part time going to homes. She would work with him for a 1/2 hours or was it an hour twice a week.